A new version of Skunkworks Network Analyzer has been released — a specialised Wireshark build with extensions for analysing IEC 61850 traffic.
The update fixes a bug in the SclExtractor, adjusts how the data semantics are displayed when messages are parsed, and removes outdated IEC 61850-90-5 terminology.
It is worth saying a separate word about the role of OTB Consulting Services. It is the OTB website where the up-to-date version of Skunkworks is published. The download page states that this is a new version of Herb Falk's Skunkwork Network Analyzer, rebuilt against the current Wireshark source code and with refreshed documentation. OTB is also the channel for reporting issues and submitting suggestions for further development of the tool — and for that it is recommended to attach a capture file together with the number of the packet where the problem was spotted.
For digital substation engineers, tools like this are particularly useful for analysing GOOSE, Sampled Values and MMS network traffic. Skunkworks has long been used as a practical tool for in-depth diagnostics of IEC 61850 traffic: previously it was described as a Wireshark build with support for IEC 61850-8-1, SCL import for GOOSE, IEC 61850-9-2, IEC 61850-90-5, MMS and ICCP/TASE.2.
The SclExtractor fix is especially important, because it is the SCL file that makes it possible to move from looking at «raw packets» to a meaningful analysis of IEC 61850 messages: data sets, signals, semantics and the relationship between the traffic and the actual configuration of the devices on the substation.
So the Skunkworks update is not just another Wireshark build — it is a useful event for the engineers who diagnose, commission and troubleshoot problems in digital-substation networks. That said, it should be noted that Skunkworks remains a tool for an engineer who understands Wireshark, IEC 61850 and the structure of the traffic.
Skunkworks can be downloaded from the OTB Consulting Services website.